Nuptiality and Population Policy: An Investigation in Tunisia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia

Abstract

In that raising the age at marriage is identified by demographers as 1 of the relatively few policy interventions beyond family planning that might bring about population growth changes on a major scale the reasons for the recent and dramatic rise in female at 1st marriage occuring in Tunisia Sri Lanka and Malaysia were investigated. The objective was to identify the major determinants of nuptiality -- particularly the determinants of age at 1st marriage -- and then to examine the issue of manipulability elsewhere through various policy measures. Focus is on the following: 1) determinants of age at marriage viewed cross-culturally; 2) instances and problems of deliberate attempts to raise age at marriage; 3) examples and processes of marital postponement as part of a general process of economic development and societal transformation; and 4) policy implications with regard to future deliberate attempts to manipulate age at interest. The 3 major subgoals of the study are to reveal the purpose and apparent effect of specific age-at-marriage legislation; 2) to arrive at a better understanding of the relative strengths of nonlegislative and legislative changes in society as they appear to influence age at marriage; and 3) to identify any apparent major nonlegislative commonalities or similarities acting on rising age at marriage in all 3 countries. An analytic framework is provided and nuptiality transitions in the 3 countries are briefly described. Apparent determinants of the transition in each of the 3 countries is specified; a comparative overview of the different countries is presented. In the final chapter application of specific findings to Bangladesh -- a society with a very low age at marriage -- is made.